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Caribou County, ID Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Caribou County information |
|---|---|
| Court | The magistrate division of the district court at the Caribou County Courthouse (Idaho Code § 1-2208) |
| Courthouse address | 159 South Main, Room 202, Soda Springs, ID 83276 |
| Mailing address | PO Box 775, Soda Springs, ID 83276 |
| Clerk phone | (208) 547-4324. If that does not connect, try the (208) 574-4324 form that appears in one Idaho court system directory. |
| Magistrate line | (208) 547-4342 |
| Fax | (208) 547-4759. Call before sending anything. |
| Hours | 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Call before travelling to confirm the hours and how late the counter accepts filings. |
| Filing fee | $166.00, effective July 12, 2024, to open a probate in the magistrate division, whether by petition for formal probate or application for informal probate. The figure includes the $120 magistrate-division filing fee, a $26 judges' retirement fund fee, a $10 Idaho Code fund fee and a $10 civil administrative surcharge (Idaho Code § 31-3201A, § 1-2003, § 73-213, § 31-3201). Confirm the current amount with the clerk of the district court in Caribou County before you file. |
| Local forms | No Caribou County probate packet is published on the county page or on courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/Forms. Ask the clerk whether any local cover sheet is wanted. |
| E-filing | Attorneys must file electronically under the Idaho Rules for Electronic Filing and Service. A self-represented personal representative may use iCourt File and Serve or may file on paper with the clerk of the district court (I.R.E.F.S. Rule 4). A paper filer who needs paper or mail service from the court pays designated mail service fees to the court clerk at the time of filing. |
| Original will | If a will is involved and the case is filed electronically, the original will and the pleading it is attached to must also be filed conventionally within seven business days, excluding legal holidays (I.R.E.F.S. Rule 5(a)). |
| Case search | Idaho uses the iCourt Portal at https://mycourts.idaho.gov/odysseyportal/. Ask the clerk what is visible for a Caribou County estate; access to court records is governed by Idaho Court Administrative Rule 32. |
| Remote appearance | Telephone or video teleconference hearings are allowed only when the court permits them under Idaho R. Civ. P. 7.2. A surviving-spouse summary administration has its own telephonic-appearance provision under Idaho Code § 15-3-1205. |
| Website | Caribou County Magistrate and District Court: https://www.cariboucounty.us/departments/magistrate_&_district_court.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a filing path in Caribou County, identify the assets, debts, account titles, deed language and any beneficiary designations. Estate settlement usually turns on what is actually part of the probate estate, not just on what the family believes the person owned.
Sunset helps families organize estate settlement before filing by searching across more than 2,300 financial institutions for accounts and assets, then using that information to help generate a probate packet or connect the family with a local attorney.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Idaho has no separate court for decedents' estates: probate is a case class assigned to the magistrate division of the district court, which sits in every one of Idaho's 44 counties, and a magistrate judge hears it (Idaho Const. art. V, § 20; Idaho Code § 1-2201, § 1-2208). The papers are filed with the clerk of the district court at the Caribou County Courthouse.
Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceeding is in the county where the decedent had domicile at death, or, for a non-Idaho decedent, in a county where the decedent's property was located (Idaho Code § 15-3-201). Caribou County estates are filed in Soda Springs, not in Pocatello, even though Caribou County is one of the six counties in Idaho's Sixth Judicial District with Bannock, Bear Lake, Franklin, Oneida and Power Counties (Idaho Code § 1-807).
The county's three cities are Bancroft, Grace and Soda Springs. Soda Springs is the county seat and courthouse city.
The jurisdiction process
- Inventory the assets, debts, deed information, account titles and beneficiary designations before choosing a filing path. Idaho is a community property state, so do not assume a court filing is needed until titles and transfers are checked.
- Choose the opening document. An application is used for informal probate, where the registrar, a magistrate judge or district judge and not the clerk, makes the statutory findings and may issue a written statement of informal probate (Idaho Code § 15-1-307, § 15-3-302). A petition is used for formal probate or formal testacy proceedings before a judge with notice (Idaho Code § 15-1-201, § 15-3-401).
- Draft the application or petition. The Court Assistance Office form library at courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/Forms does not list a statewide probate packet, and no Caribou County probate packet is published, so the personal representative or attorney drafts from Idaho Code Title 15, chapter 3.
- File with the clerk of the district court at the Caribou County Courthouse, 159 South Main, Room 202, Soda Springs, or mail the filing to PO Box 775, Soda Springs, ID 83276. Call (208) 547-4324 before filing; if that does not connect, try the (208) 574-4324 form that appears in one Idaho court system directory.
- Pay the filing fee. $166.00, effective July 12, 2024, to open a probate in the magistrate division, whether by petition for formal probate or application for informal probate. The figure includes the $120 magistrate-division filing fee, a $26 judges' retirement fund fee, a $10 Idaho Code fund fee and a $10 civil administrative surcharge (Idaho Code § 31-3201A, § 1-2003, § 73-213, § 31-3201). Confirm the current amount with the clerk of the district court in Caribou County before you file.
- If filing electronically, use iCourt File and Serve as the Idaho Rules for Electronic Filing and Service require or allow. Attorneys must file electronically; a self-represented personal representative may file on paper instead, and a paper filer who needs paper or mail service from the court pays designated mail service fees to the court clerk at the time of filing (I.R.E.F.S. Rule 4). If there is an original will, the paper original and the pleading it is attached to must also reach the court within seven business days after electronic filing, excluding legal holidays (I.R.E.F.S. Rule 5(a)).
- Handle creditor notice after appointment. Idaho lets the personal representative publish notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county to start a four-month claims bar, with a 60-day mailed-notice tail for creditors who receive written notice (Idaho Code § 15-3-801). Ask the clerk which newspapers are used for a Caribou County estate.
- Ask how the matter will be scheduled. Informal proceedings are decided without a hearing by the registrar under Idaho Code § 15-3-302. Formal matters are before a judge with notice, and the Sixth Judicial District's local rules set the Caribou County magistrate's civil calendar for Mondays and Thursdays and the first and third Fridays. Ask the clerk when an estate matter would be set.
- Ask before relying on telephone or video attendance. Idaho R. Civ. P. 7.2 lets the court hold certain hearings by telephone or video teleconference, but the decision is the court's. In a summary administration where a surviving spouse is the sole beneficiary, the petitioner may move to appear telephonically or file affidavits instead of appearing, but the spouse also assumes liability for any indebtedness that might be a claim against the estate (Idaho Code § 15-3-1205).
- After appointment, use the letters to administer the estate. Letters testamentary or letters of administration are the authority documents under Idaho Code § 15-1-201, and administration begins with the issuance of letters (Idaho Code § 15-3-103). Within three months after appointment, the personal representative prepares an inventory, sends a copy to interested persons who request it, and may file the original with the court (Idaho Code § 15-3-706).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Caribou County
Idaho's Court Assistance Office form library at courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/Forms lists categories such as divorce, custody, guardianship, conservatorship, name change, protection orders and small claims, but that Forms page does not list a statewide probate packet. No Caribou County probate form, cover sheet or checklist is published on the county's Magistrate and District Court page, the Court Assistance Office page for Caribou County, or the Sixth Judicial District local-rules materials.
A personal representative or attorney should draft the application or petition from Idaho Code Title 15, chapter 3, and should ask the clerk of the district court in Caribou County whether the Sixth Judicial District wants any local cover sheet with a probate filing. Among the Court Assistance Office's Wills and Probate publications is Most frequently asked questions about probate in Idaho at https://courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/docs/publications/WP-1.pdf; the others are estate-planning pamphlets. Use it as a public information handout, not as a fillable packet.
Timeline
- The clerk's counter hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Call before travelling to confirm the hours and how late the counter accepts filings.
- An informal probate statement may issue only after at least five days have elapsed since death, and the registrar is a magistrate judge or district judge, not the clerk (Idaho Code § 15-1-307, § 15-3-302).
- Formal proceedings are before a judge with notice to interested persons, and Idaho has an express formal testacy route for uncontested cases (Idaho Code § 15-1-201, § 15-3-401).
- The Sixth Judicial District's local rules set the Caribou County magistrate's civil calendar for Mondays and Thursdays and the first and third Fridays. Probate is a civil matter, but the rules do not label those days as a probate calendar, so ask the clerk when a Caribou County estate matter would be set.
- After appointment, the personal representative prepares an inventory within three months, sends a copy to interested persons who request it, and may file the original with the court (Idaho Code § 15-3-706).
Local nuance
Caribou County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Caribou County estate |
|---|---|
| Direct magistrate line | Caribou County publishes a direct magistrate line at (208) 547-4342. Use it for questions about the magistrate side of the court, but do not treat it as a probate-only number. |
| Two printed forms of the clerk number | The clerk of the district court line is (208) 547-4324. One Idaho court system directory prints a transposed form, (208) 574-4324, so try the other form if the first call does not connect. |
| 9:00 a.m. counter opening | The clerk's counter opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Call before travelling to confirm the hours and how late the counter accepts filings. |
| Resident district-judge chambers | One of the Sixth Judicial District's four district judges has resident chambers in Caribou County, while the other three are in Bannock County (Idaho Code § 1-807). Probate is still heard by a magistrate judge in the magistrate division under Idaho Code § 1-2208. |
| Court Assistance Office appointments | Local help in Caribou County is available by appointment only, on Tuesdays. Start with the Court Assistance Office page for Caribou County at https://courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/Local/Caribou. |
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| August 10, 2026 | The district judges of Idaho's Sixth Judicial District amended the local rules of the district court and magistrate division, which is where scheduling for a Caribou County matter is set. |
| August 11, 2026 | Idaho's judicial districts, including the Sixth, launched new public websites, so an old district bookmark may no longer work. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Caribou County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with the deed and account titles, because Idaho is a community property state and title can decide whether a court filing is needed. If the home must pass through the estate, file at the Caribou County Courthouse in Soda Springs. If the surviving spouse is the sole devisee or heir, Idaho Code § 15-3-1205 may offer summary administration that reaches real property, but the spouse assumes liability for indebtedness that might be a claim against the estate. | Sunset helps organize deeds, accounts and debts before the filing decision, then helps generate the estate settlement packet or connect the family with counsel. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | The Idaho Code § 15-3-1201 collection-of-personal-property affidavit is presented to whoever holds the property rather than filed with the clerk in Soda Springs, so it does not use the Caribou County filing counter. If letters are needed, mail the filing to PO Box 775, Soda Springs, ID 83276, and call (208) 547-4324 first. | Sunset helps identify accounts, decide whether letters are needed, and keep the estate settlement work organized from outside Idaho. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Open the estate with the clerk of the district court in Soda Springs so a personal representative can be appointed and issued letters. There is no statewide probate packet listed on courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/Forms, so the application or petition is drafted from Idaho Code Title 15, chapter 3. If there is an original will and the case is filed electronically, the paper original must still reach the clerk under I.R.E.F.S. Rule 5(a). | Sunset helps collect asset information, prepare the probate packet, track the original will and connect the family with a vetted Idaho attorney when a sale or dispute makes counsel useful. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Court Assistance Office | The Court Assistance Office provides resources, court forms, document review and legal information for people representing themselves, but it does not give legal advice. Local help in Caribou County is available by appointment only, on Tuesdays. | https://courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/Local/Caribou; 208-547-4342 ext. 813 |
| Sixth Judicial District Court Assistance Office | This district office serves civil self-help users in the Sixth Judicial District. Its listed case types do not include probate administration, so use it for procedural help and ask before relying on it for an estate filing. | https://isc.idaho.gov/district-6/family-court/court-assistance-office; (208) 236-7067 |
| Idaho Legal Aid Services | Idaho Legal Aid Services is the statewide civil legal aid intake. It does not list probate administration as a service area, so do not assume it will take an estate matter. | Legal Advice Line: 208-746-7541; https://www.idaholegalaid.org/apply-for-help |
| Idaho State Bar Lawyer Referral Service | The Idaho State Bar lists a $35 referral fee as of August 2026, except for the case types the Bar lists as receiving a free referral. Referred lawyers agree to an initial consultation of up to half an hour at no fee. | https://isb.idaho.gov/lawyer-referral-service/; (208) 334-4500 |
| Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program | The Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program provides civil legal help through volunteer attorneys and offers advice-and-counsel clinics by appointment. It is not an emergency program and its wills clinic is estate planning, not estate administration. | https://ilf.idaho.gov/ivlp/legal-assistance/ |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel makes sense when heirs disagree, a home must be sold, creditors are active, the original will is hard to locate, or a self-represented personal representative is not comfortable drafting an application or petition from Idaho Code Title 15. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families find accounts, balances and clues that shape the estate settlement plan before filing in Caribou County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the family's answers and asset information to help prepare an organized probate packet for the magistrate division of the district court, with the original-will and paper-filing points flagged when they matter (Idaho Code § 1-2208; I.R.E.F.S. Rule 5(a)).
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal advice, a sale, a contested issue or help drafting from Idaho Code Title 15, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Idaho attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset. The goal is to reduce administrative work while keeping the court filing and legal decisions in the right hands.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Caribou County, and do I go to Soda Springs or Pocatello?
File with the clerk of the district court at the Caribou County Courthouse, 159 South Main, Room 202, Soda Springs, ID 83276, or mail the filing to PO Box 775, Soda Springs, ID 83276. Caribou County is in Idaho's Sixth Judicial District with Bannock, Bear Lake, Franklin, Oneida and Power Counties, and one of the district's four district judges has resident chambers in Caribou County (Idaho Code § 1-807). That district structure does not move the filing counter. Venue is based on the decedent's domicile or, for a non-Idaho decedent, the location of property (Idaho Code § 15-3-201).
What does it cost to open an estate in Caribou County?
$166.00, effective July 12, 2024, to open a probate in the magistrate division, whether by petition for formal probate or application for informal probate. The figure includes the $120 magistrate-division filing fee, a $26 judges' retirement fund fee, a $10 Idaho Code fund fee and a $10 civil administrative surcharge (Idaho Code § 31-3201A, § 1-2003, § 73-213, § 31-3201). Confirm the current amount with the clerk of the district court in Caribou County before you file.
What are the clerk's hours and which Caribou County number should I call?
The clerk's counter is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Call before travelling to confirm the hours and how late the counter accepts filings. Use (208) 547-4324 for the clerk of the district court; if that does not connect, try the (208) 574-4324 form that appears in one Idaho court system directory. The county also publishes a direct magistrate line at (208) 547-4342.
Can I file electronically in Caribou County?
Idaho courts use iCourt File and Serve under the Idaho Rules for Electronic Filing and Service. Attorneys must file electronically, while a self-represented personal representative may file through File and Serve or may file on paper with the clerk of the district court (I.R.E.F.S. Rule 4). A self-represented filer who chooses electronic filing must keep using it for the life of the case unless the court allows withdrawal. A paper filer who needs paper or mail service from the court pays designated mail service fees to the court clerk at the time of filing.
Are there Caribou County probate forms?
The Court Assistance Office form library at courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/Forms does not list a statewide probate packet, and no Caribou County probate form, cover sheet or checklist is published. Ask the clerk of the district court whether the Sixth Judicial District wants any local cover sheet. The Court Assistance Office also lists Most frequently asked questions about probate in Idaho among its Wills and Probate publications at https://courtselfhelp.idaho.gov/docs/publications/WP-1.pdf; use it as public information, not as a fillable packet.
Will there be a hearing, and when does the court sit in Caribou County?
Informal probate is handled by the registrar, a magistrate judge or district judge and not the clerk, without a hearing if the statutory findings are met (Idaho Code § 15-1-307, § 15-3-302). Formal probate is before a judge with notice, and Idaho has a formal testacy route for uncontested cases (Idaho Code § 15-1-201, § 15-3-401, § 15-3-405). The Sixth Judicial District's local rules set the Caribou County magistrate's civil calendar for Mondays and Thursdays and the first and third Fridays, but ask the clerk when an estate matter would be set.
Can I appear by telephone or video in a Caribou County probate matter?
Idaho R. Civ. P. 7.2 lets the court hold certain hearings by telephone or video teleconference, and the decision is the court's. Idaho does not give a general right to attend a probate matter remotely. One route is different: in a summary administration where a surviving spouse is the sole beneficiary, the petitioner may move to appear telephonically or file affidavits instead of appearing, with the debt-liability caveat in Idaho Code § 15-3-1205.
How do I look up a Caribou County probate case?
Use Idaho's iCourt Portal at https://mycourts.idaho.gov/odysseyportal/. Ask the clerk of the district court what is visible for a Caribou County estate, because online access to court records is governed by Idaho Court Administrative Rule 32. Original wills are never destroyed under the Idaho court records retention rule.
Do I have to travel to Idaho to settle a Caribou County estate?
Not every estate settlement step requires travel. The Idaho Code § 15-3-1201 collection-of-personal-property affidavit is presented to whoever holds the property rather than filed with the court. A court filing can be mailed to the clerk, and a self-represented filer may use iCourt File and Serve under the Idaho Rules for Electronic Filing and Service. If the surviving spouse is the sole beneficiary, Idaho Code § 15-3-1205 may allow a motion to appear telephonically or affidavits instead of an in-person appearance, with the statute's debt-liability caveat.
Does Idaho have an inheritance tax or estate tax for a Caribou County estate?
Idaho has no gift tax or inheritance tax, and its estate tax for deaths expired in 2004, according to the Idaho State Tax Commission at https://tax.idaho.gov/taxes/estates-and-taxes/. An estate may still owe federal tax and may still have to file an income tax return for the estate.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.